I really want to thank Netgalley for this review copy of Only a Monster by Vanessa Len.

Only a Monster was one of my favourite books to review so far. It was such a fun read! It was the best combination of tropes that make a really new story with some really great twists and turns but which still feels comforting and familiar.

The main character that the story follows is Joan. She knows that her mother and father are from two different worlds, but never knew that her mother's side were actual monsters. This was something she found out by accident which led to her using a skill that only monsters have the ability to harness. This starts off a chain reaction that leads to the adventure of the ages.

The story is artfully crafted with multiple trope staples that only make you fall in love with the characters and the plot more. The plot never felt like it was getting repetitive. I would highly recommend this to any YA fantasy lover that wants more magic, balls, handsome enemies forced to be nice, heists and some time travel thrown in for good measure.

I cannot wait to show this to all the readers that I can! It truly deserves all the praise it can get!

Only a Monster made my soul sing. I've been hoping and begging the world for biracial Asian representation my entire life and Vanessa Len really gave it to me. My childhood self couldn't be happier with how incredible this book is. I was so excited to see a time travel right, a monster girl and a cute monster hunter boy, a love triangle, a time travel battle, and so much more all with a biracial Asian protagonist. There's no way to properly explain what it feels like to finally feel seen in a book, but this book is incredibly dear to my heart. I am so grateful to Vanessa for writing this, to Harperteen for publishing it, for every single person who contributes to getting a book to publication. I can't wait for kids who look like me to have books to turn to with characters that look like them too.

Joan just wants to have a normal summer working at the historic Holland House with her super cute coworker and crush, Nick. When Nick asks her on a date, it feels like summer is going according to plan and everything is going to work out. Until she learns the truth about her family, that they're real monsters and Nick isn't just a cute boy, but a legendary monster hunter who will do anything to bring down every monster who has ever used their powers. Now if she wants to save herself she's forced to work with Aaron, who is beautiful, ruthless, and heir to a rival monster family.

Seeing biracial Asian representation is so important to me and I'm so honored to have had the chance to read this. Joan is not only Asian and white but she is also half monster and half-human. Throughout the book, she gets treated as mixed from both aspects and it really deepened the feeling of estrangement from both sides, which is a constant feeling for so many mixed-race people like myself. I loved how Vanessa Len was able to really show Joan's complex family dynamic and how it was heavily influenced by Joan being half monster and half-human. The way that Joan's family worked so hard to shelter her from her other half and the way that Joan grows to discover and embrace her monster half tore my heart to shreds. I'm so proud of Joan for beginning her journey of embracing both halves of herself and I'm so proud of every biracial kid who can read Joan's story and start to embrace who they are as well.

Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
That's all I can say.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this amazing book! WHEN I SAY AMAZING I MEAN OH MY GOSH. I can't imagine the intense fan base that will come from this book. Every character was SO well thought out and made. So round, so real. I felt like I was traveling with Joan, Aaron, Ruth, and Tom. And NICK. OH NICK MY HEART. It's after midnight and I think I'll be staring at a wall for an hour.

ONLY A MONSTER by Vanessa Len has taken my heart on a whirlwind. From the moment the book begins until it ends, I was enraptured in its mystery. I cannot wait until book two. I am a fan. Wow.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!!

Going to keep this review vague to avoid spoilers!

A buddy read with Fantasy Frenemies never disappoints and this one was no exception! I really liked this book and I feel like I read it so fast and still retained everything. I haven't read a book about time travel in so long and this one was done so well! I think the method of time travel really played into the whole monster aspect. I liked reading about all the various monster families and their special powers. Joan was such a good main character and I loved reading about her journey as she learned about who she is. I love a good romance and I'm really excited to see where this aspect of the story goes. YA fantasy and fantasy in general are slowly becoming one of my most read genres, and I am so excited to add this series to my list!

I am so excited for this series to continue and I can't believe that I have to wait for so long until the second one comes out!! This book releases on 22Feb, so definitely grab your copy then!

I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority with my opinion here but this one didn't do it for me.

I expected more....monster stuff.

I mean, it's very much so a debut and you can definitely tell by the writing and the many plot holes I came across. But, I get it. It's a darker YA urban fantasy. It gets dark and morose within a few chapters.
I cannot and will not speak an opinion on the representation other than to say how important it is that we are even getting these voices and stories and I'm incredibly happy for the author and I know so many have loved this and so many younger readers are gonna lap this up.

From my critical perspective it fell flat for me.
I did not enjoy the love interests. We have one boy who leaves our girl defenseless at their first meeting and we have another who does a bunch of bs that I can't say without spoiling but yeah they both scream toxic/not good lovers. Also, the instalove that happens after like 3 days together was cringe.

The plot. Messy. Timey wimey stuff is always such a challenging aspect to add to any book much less an urban fantasy. I saw so many plot holes that were opening up every time these kids jumped to a new time and did anything. I get that it's not supposed to be taken too seriously because it has that ya label, but come on you know better than to bring items into a different time period right.

I don't think I'll be continuing the series but if the author ever writes a different story I'm down to try it because I did like their writing.

Well, this book wasn't at all what I'd expected. I thought the "monsters" would be what we've learned to expect - grotesque, hairy, with fangs and claws and all manner of nastiness. But no. To quote the book, <i>“Real monsters look like me and you.”</i>

And that, in a nutshell, is the brilliance of this book. It forces the reader to think about what makes a monster. And is anyone, even a monster, ever wholly bad? Is the hero wholly good? Joan is half human and half monster. And while she comes to terms with that, she also is struggling with her multiracial identity. As a result of her many halves: half human, half monster; half Chinese, half English, she never really feels like she belongs. Vanessa Len uses this skillfully in illustrating the complexities of identity.

I really enjoyed this debut fantasy and tore through it in two days. While it's not without its issues - the writing is a bit simple and the dialogue a little stilted - the good far outweighs the flaws (a bit like our anti-heroine, Joan?). I loved the setting in central London, probably my favorite place in the world, and it was described so well I felt transported. I could so easily picture the streets of Covent Garden and Whitehall, the Horse Guard and St. James Park.

This is the first of a planned trilogy, and I will definitely be continuing with this series.

Thank you to Harper Teen and NetGalley for the gifted e-galley.

“Olivers see. Hunts hide. Nowaks live. Patels bind. Portellis open. Hathaways leash. Nightingales take. Mtawalis keep. Argents sway. Alis seal. Griffiths reveal. But only the Lius remember.” The words were slightly chanted—the recital of a nursery rhyme. “The twelve great families of London,”
—————————————————————
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was so different from anything I’ve ever read before.
I loved that our protagonist is the “monster”, and I love that she is not only Half-human, half-monster but also Half-Chinese, half-English. The way she struggles in the beginning to understand her place and who she is.
The journey she is forced to take by circumstance and outside entities is compelling and gripping in a way that few are.
Joan knows who’s she is in her heart and she needs only to lose EVERYTHING in order to understand that what she is doesn’t make her WHO SHE IS!!
•
There are two Hero’s.
One is the love of her life, but also the one who destroys her life.
The other is the son of her family’s greatest enemy, who ends up becoming a rather unlikely ally.
You won’t know who to root for to win Joan’s heart, but you will find reasons to love them both.
It’s not a love triangle, not truly. You’ll have to read it to find out.
•
This is a truly spectacular debut novel by Vanessa Len, and I cannot wait for the next two instalments!

Thank you so much HCC FRENZY and Harper Collins for dividing me with an advanced copy!

Only a Monster is an incredible debut YA fantasy novel that I enjoyed from start to finish. Based on the synopsis, I was not prepared to be captivated by this time jumping, monsters versus humans story. I also thought I knew where this was going and, my friends, I was so wrong.

This was a magical book which I flew through and was just able to enjoy this unique world of families and feuds, monsters and heroes and the fine line between the two.

All the stars for this book and I cannot wait for the remaining books in the series come out.

This book is a fantastic story like no other! I love the story Len weaves, as we follow the characters on their quest to save those they love. This story makes you think about how far you'd go to help your own family. It is beautifully written and I could not put it down. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat, and make you question what a monster truly is.

Ok, first of all I have to say that this book was AMAZING. I loved this book so much.

This book has it all. It has monsters, it has a hero, it has time travel, it has adventure. And that's just the beginning of it. If you're one of those people (like me) who sometimes relate to the "monster" or the "bad guy" more than the hero, this book is for. you. It has the perfect twists and turns, none of which I saw coming. Joan, the main character, is everything. I loved her character so much. I also really appreciated that the book started with an attention grabbing scene, then did some character building, and THEN went into the politics/world building more. I find with some fantasy books that start with the world building at the beginning, I often forget or don't care about it because I don't understand it. I think because I cared about the characters and how the world effected them I cared more and understood how the world worked as it was explained a little bit better. I also really enjoyed that it wasn't an extremely wordy book. Len gets straight to the point while also creating perfect descriptions so you can picture everything happening. I never got bored. I literally couldn't put this book down once I started it.

This was so much fun. I love well plotted urban fantasies, and that’s what this was. I do wish that we’d gotten more slower-paced moments with great dialogue, because I did feel like the relationships between the characters could have been better built. However, I enjoyed this immensely!

actual rating: 4.5/5
This book completely exceeded my expectations. Only A Monster by Vanessa Len was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. It took a few chapters, but I was hooked after that. I loved the characters, and the storyline was so interesting and unique. I loved the concept of families of monsters who could travel through time. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray reminded me a bit of this because of the chase through different dimensions in that reminded me of the chase through different times in this book. I knew I would love the romance aspect from the description, but it panned out so different from what I thought would happen, which was refreshing. The ending makes me so excited to see where Len takes this story next!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperTeen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This review will appear on my Goodreads and bookstagram.

The book starts off very strongly with character introductions, action, and plot twists. We meet the main character, the love interest(s), and the antagonist in the first few chapters. The inciting incident is fast-paced and tense, drawing the reader in even more, and leads to the main cast of characters joining together.

However, it does slow quite a bit for the rest of the book. After the adrenaline of the beginning wears off, there are only minor conflicts that occur with a more investigative style throughout. I also found the ending to be quite rushed and plot points that needed more development or explanation were suddenly coming to a close. I would have liked to see more done with Joan's powers, as they were very interesting but didn't get the development they needed.

Overall, Only a Monster has a lot of potential with an intriguing premise, but ultimately needs more development put into the characters and some of the world building.

This. Is. Such. A. Amazing. Book
I am so honored to have gotten an ARC for this! The author has an amazing way with words and the story was so compelling to read that I finished it as fast as I possible could! Definitely a must read if you like dark fantasy type, villains, and complex characters!.

This book took me on a journey! One filled with time travel, monsters, emotion, good but bad characters (or bad but good) and adventure that I’ve never even fathomed until reading this book!

Synopsis: This book is centered on a girl named Joan Chang-hunt. All her life her family has been able to do magic tricks and make things disappear, some of her family wears clothes out of this Century, and her Grandma has always told her that she’s a family of monsters. But Joan, who has lived a pretty normal life didn’t think much of it until one morning when she is helping an elderly neighbor and then suddenly wakes up at midnight- hours later, or when her and the boy she likes see’s something they shouldn’t have… monsters appear out of thin air.
Then the game changes. Joan Chang-hunt is not a ‘regular girl’ … she is a monster. She is the only monster who can save the others from the hero trying to destroy them.

This book has one of the best plots and concepts that I have ever read. It’s the ultimate fantasy read. Some noteworthy things This book contains:

-time travel 🧭
-star crossed lovers 💫
-plot twists that you won’t see coming
-monster pov 🖤
-biracial Asian rep.
-cute guy named Aaron 😉

<i>“Real monsters look like me and you.”</i>

I found this to be a refreshing YA fantasy with clever nods to British history that made this feel really unique. This is definitely a love letter to the power of fairytales and also an analysis of how and why we create and bend them, how we create our own heroes and monsters and what they say about the world around us.

Joan finds herself quite literally stumbling into her hidden powers and history, which sets her on a path of of loss, betrayal, darkness, and turmoil. She starts off a sickly sweet and naïve, which makes her ultimate descent into a monster interesting. Joan is definitely a bit grating at first, feeling almost too shrill and almost counterproductive with how little effort she takes to understand her circumstances, power, or the world around her. Her naïveté and bumbling around at times felt reminiscent of the plot which meanders a bit too much at times to get to important plot points and moments. Some of the strong emotional drivers I expected to propel her, felt stagnant, and in the middle, Joan really stifles.

That said, the action picks up immediately from the start, which was a great way to just jump into the strong, especially one that feature time traveling. It’s a tricky concept to get write in books and I think this one does just enough with it without making it feel too confusing. The time travel element was just enough to dazzle without giving me a headache and being too complex. It also created some fun sense of nostalgia for us millennials in a sense, having us travel through time and hitting on what it is about history that makes us yearn, awe, and wonder at times past and the sheer scale of history.
The action in the beginning is a great reveal twist, taking the usual hero-monster dynamic and turning it on its head. And I don’t just mean in the ‘morally gray but still redeeming and understandable’ kind of way - the monsters really are truly monstrous.

The side supporting characters were fine, but aren’t given much depth which I found a bit disappointing because the room for that was definitely there. Aaron as an alternative love interest felt too bland and I wanted more from Ruth as a big sister and guiding advisor. I also hoped Ruth would give us more details and backstory on the families and powers, so ultimately she’s not much of an information source. The addition of one last member of the group was good and was honestly probably my favorite character in the book. The middle of this felt like the pacing really slowed down with not much information being gathered or discovered. Instead, it’s just a lot of Joan doing the opposite of what she’s supposed to do and making some really key mistakes. I also felt there were some missed opportunities to make the time travel and market more engaging, instead of treating it like a pit stop.

The last 20% or so really shines and picks up the pace, I think it also finally gets to the meat of Joan’s character. I thought what she did with the hero was a nice twist, but came a bit too late. The final confrontation made sense, but I also felt like it left a lot to be desired in terms of how the pieces came together and what Joan’s magic really does. It seemed like some corners were cut to get to the final action, where in the middle we spent a lot of time and pages running around. That could have been used better to lay down more of Joan’s magic. The ending felt abrupt, I would have liked a little teaser or cliffhanger concerning the loose threads left behind and more on Joan’s feelings about her monster powers. There’s an air of unfinished-ness throughout and sometimes it felt like 3 different books were put together, but overall the message of the monsters and heroes we create, and how we twist our stories to meet them was fascinating and smart. I’d love to read more from this author, she’s definitely one to watch!

I was very intrigued by this book! The combination of fantasy with the monsters and the sci-fi effect of time travel mixed with the urban settings was fantastic. The family dynamic was cute and it's nice to see it be a large part of the story.

I did find Joan to be slightly annoying at times but I also understand why she did things without thinking or was stubborn about making sure they did a certain thing, it was all new to her and she had excellent development throughout the book.

I'm really interested to see where the series goes because this book wrapped up so well that I am slightly scared as to what will come next. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and flew through the book once I had the time to get stuck into it.

Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed this story... BUT. Okay, that's a BUT in all-caps, but it's really not that huge. Let me continue by saying that this book was a surprise! The description leaves a lot of mystery, which I appreciate, so I will do my best to preserve that and avoid spoilers in this review.

Here are the things that threw me off. 1) Unfortunately, the beginning of this book felt so much like it started its life as a Harry Potter fanfiction story that it killed my immersion for a moment. I had to push through and allow myself to keep going for a while before I got over it -- and thankfully this moment passed and the rest of the book felt like its own tale. 2) The "monsters" in this book did not feel monstrous to me, at least not in the way that I expected. You could call it a good thing, that it wasn't so typical, but it led to me feeling a bit let down because it wasn't nearly as dark or monster-filled as I was expecting. 3) Speaking on these monsters, their powers were... confusing to me. I mean, I think the powers were interesting and I can see how that would make them seem/feel like monsters, but... I really didn't get the POINT of the powers. It never felt clear to me why they would ever use this power in the first place. Hmph. 4) This is marketed as a romance, and quite honestly I'm not sure which boy is the romantic interest I'm supposed to be rooting for. I would have liked a lot more exploration on both sides.

Okay, but aside from my confusion and frustration, I found myself really enjoying the ride! The twists and turns, ups and downs, questions and mysteries... All of it was a lot of fun to explore along with Joan. I would definitely watch a show or movie adaptation of this book!

A standout YA debut that was at once utterly compelling and deeply moving.

This is one of those wonderful books that made me fall in love with a genre I didn’t think I liked. I tend to love fantasy and contemporary separately, but contemporary fantasies rarely work for me. This book did,

I was drawn in by intricate worldbuilding, compelling characters, and lots of plot twists. On the surface, this is addictive and adventurous and romantic. But look a little deeper and nuanced themes emerge about heroes and monsters, first love and family, and the impossible choices we all face in our lives.

My understanding is this is the first in a duology, and I feel the story absolutely warrants and deserves a sequel, but this novel also stands alone well and doesn’t suffer from first book set-up syndrome.

I eagerly await the sequel and more from Len!

I am SO sad to say this, but this wasn’t the book for me. I had such high expectations, and was convinced I’d love this book. Vanessa Len has a compelling idea—a girl who’s part monster, discovering her crush is a monster-hunter. Great, there’s tension. But it didn’t live up to expectations.

Here’s what I was expecting:
- upper YA (both in writing and content)
- enemies to lovers
- dark, layered characters
- wrestling with morality and who the monsters really are

But what we got was:
- very, VERY young YA (both in writing and content)
- kiddish crush to… enemies to ??????
- naive, childish characters
- being told over and over ad nauseum that Joan is a monster, when her only ability to time traveling and stealing the time off someone’s life…. So. Not a monster. At all. Nothing resembling a monster. Literally.

I feel awful not giving a good review, but I think the crux of the issue is that content-wise, the book tried to be ‘morally grey,’ but the characters clung to black-and-white monster vs. hero language that didn’t fit at all and completely lacked nuance. Writing-wise, this was ALL telling and stiff 3rd person narration, no showing. No one’s more heartbroken about this than me. I really thought I’d love this one!

Thanks to the author/NetGalley who gave me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

-À

This was SO GOOD AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Fascinating premise, fast pacing, super accessible writing. Couldn't put it down. I'm so mad I have to wait a year for the next one!! Truly excited to get this one out to teens at the library.